Lexus is promoting its RC 350 sport coupe and RC F performance coupe with a new campaign that "mirrors the story of the coupe itself—which was built from a blank canvas, unconstrained by existing designs and convention—and is centered on the theme of shattering limits."

Two new U.S. TV spots—"Face Off," starring actor Wes Bentley and directed by Sophie Muller and "From Road to Race Circuit" for the RC F—will be joined by a trio of spots targeting specific audience segments: "Flex Your Drive" for African Americans, "Shatter" for LGBT consumers and "Control Power," which targets Latinos.

Other elements include a custom Lexus RC Flipboard magazine curating content from Esquire and Bon Appétit; a branded content partnership with Engadget and AOL called Your Brain on the RC F that will demonstrate "the science and technology behind the adrenaline rush associated with driving the RC F."Continue reading...

It was only a matter of time until the life-threatening issues surrounding worker safety and the garment industry spread to Cambodia, where just a few months ago a factory disaster claimed several lives.

The residual effects of recent tragedies in Bangladesh, the second-largest garment manufacturer behind China that saw over 100 killed in a 2012 factory fire and over 1,200 workers perish in the Rana Plaza collapse, have spread to other global economies, igniting protests over safety and fair wages.

Protests erupted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Dec. 24 after the Ministry of Labor set the garment sector’s 2014 minimum wage at $95 per month, rather than the $160 unions wanted. When security forces opened fire Jan. 3 on a group of demonstrators, four people were killed, 37 injured, and another 23 detained in a prison for four hours.

Now, 30 global brands and several unions have joined the fight, signing a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen asking the Cambodian government to “address the rights of 23 people detained since deadly garment worker demonstrations on January 2 and 3 and the violation of citizens’ freedom of association," according to the Phnom Penh Post. Government officials said they acted in the public's interest and to protect the workers.Continue reading...

Amazon.com is the most popular retail website for sharing content on Pinterest, according to a recent study from Searchmetrics on the top 10 retail sites in the US. Since Thanksgiving, the e-tailer has generated an average number of 16,360 pins per week, trailed by Walmart, which has 5,778 pins, and Apple, which has 3,871. QVC, meanwhile, has the highest number of followers at 42,683, compared to Walmart's 33,337.

“Amazon’s content gets pinned a lot because users are inevitably browsing its site for things that they want and things make great pins,” Mark Pinsent, social content lead at Metia, told Mobile Commerce Daily. “In many ways, people are using their Pinterest boards as their public wish lists, and obviously the idea of a wishlist is central to Amazon… Every online retailer should learn from Amazon. Have a ‘pin this’ button on every item on your site.”

Walmart has set up 10 separate holiday boards focused on entertaining, baking, gifts, decorating the tree and holiday decorating, including pins of content from other sites, while Office Depot has a board for sharing pins based on the band One Direction, and is partnering on an anti-bullying campaign.

“Group products into lifestyle buckets, which can be played out through Pinterest boards,” advises Pinsent. “I see retailers’ Pinterest boards being akin to their real-world windows displays.”Continue reading...

Starbucks in the UK, according toInformationWeek, "is offering a free cup of coffee to anyone (the first 30,000, says the Guardian) who checks in to Places Deals Monday (while) Benetton will donate £2 or €2 to Architecture for Humanity for every person who checks in. Mazda is giving users the chance to earn a 20% discount — or more than £4,600 — off its MX-5 sports car."

Additionally, the first 1,000 Facebookers to check in at Debenhams will receive a free mascara and makeover, and the first four customers to upgrade their contracts and check in at O2 stores will win a free Xbox or Playstation.Continue reading...